Providing frequency support to offshore energy hubs using hydrogen and wind reserves

This paper presents a case study of an offshore energy hub integrating two wind farms, potential HVDC connections to multiple countries, and hydrogen production facilities. The analysis focuses on the capacity to provide frequency support using reserves from wind and electrolyzer plants located in different parts of the network. The study also analyzes the trade-off in terms of economic profit between renewable energy sales and the cost of maintaining a power reserve for the provision of frequency support. An attractive feature of using electrolyzers and wind farms for frequency support is that their power contributions are opposite; the former adsorbs power and the latter injects power and vice versa. This is used to improve the overall economic profit. Nevertheless, time responses of each kind of plant are different and this might affect the primary frequency support. Simulation results indicate that a proper management of wind and hydrogen reserves may allow an effective compromise, ensuring a satisfactory primary frequency control.